There are certainly still pagan characters, and there is spiritual conflict between the believers and those following the ‘old ways’. However, the book is clearly weighted in favor of the Christian characters.

In any case, here’s a basic plot synopsis. Brenna Gowrys and her clan have suffered at the hands of the O’Byrnes for a generation. Having received a prophecy from her mother upon her death, this foretelling has sent Brenna into a solitary life of hiding. Hiding from the O’Byrnes who seek to destroy her, hiding from her kinsfolk who would seek to manipulate her politically.

However, when an O’Byrne lordling is injured, Brenna takes him in without being aware of his past and uses her skills as a trained healer and herbalist to restore his health. Like many romances, this plot is fairly predictable; I’m sure you can guess what happens! But while the romance is a bit unbelievable and stereotypically written, the historical background is fascinating, and largely unknown to me.

As a result, I had a bit of a tricky time connecting all of the dots and making complete sense of the historical background (due to lack of familiarity with this newly cast Christian landscape and wealth of characters/allegiances etc.) What I did glean however has provided many hours of thought and conversation between my husband and myself.

The political intrigue kicks into high gear after the main romance portion of the story moves into a more settled state. This too isn’t entirely unpredictable, but was more engaging than the romance storyline for me.

The writing is fairly average for Christian historical fiction, but the unique premise and historical angle is what elevates this title from the norm. If you’re interested in exploring an introduction to the early Christianity (5th century AD), then this is a good entry-level title to explore this period and setting through fiction.

Reviewed at quiverfullfamily.com